Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro,

Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener

"No Rules this Time"

The sequel to this crime thriller once again tackles the drugs war on the U.S - Mexico border. Fed agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and 'consultant' Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) are back to continue the fight against the Mexican cartels.  Drug lords who not only peddle drugs but also resort to human trafficking and acts of terrorism on both sides of the border. The task force devise a plan to mess up the cartels but when it backfires, all hell breaks loose. Each of them basically on their own to sort out their own mess.

Sicario which was released in 2015 got a lot of raves for the way it was filmed. Emily Blunt was very credible as the small town FBI agent who was recruited by the task force. In this sequel though, she is not part of the team, no mention whatsoever about her character. This is fine as the Brolin - del Toro tandem still work well together without the distracting presence of a lead female character.

I liked Sicario (2015) and this sequel although with a few dragging parts was equally good in my book. We all know about the cartels running the show vis a vis the peddling of drugs through shows like Narcos on Netflix. But Sicario: Day of the Soldado offers a different perspective, as shown through the eyes of this special task force. An operation so covert, the U.S government denies of its existence, as usual. 

The film still retains its gritty, suspenseful tone with enough action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe there was more depth in this narrative, as seen through the eyes of the young Isabel Reyes. An unfortunate pawn in this dangerously ugly and menacing drugs war.

The ending hints at a third Sicario in the making but it should remain true to form and present an alternative perspective (one that is not redundant and repetitive), then maybe, just maybe it would be worth waiting for. If not, perhaps it would be a good time to let agent Matt Graver and Alejandro rest from their stressful job.